Wines for Christmas
Christmas is a special time for relaxation and celebration and if you're going to be spending time at home, either alone or as a host for family and friends, then you'll need a few bottles to help the company relax and enjoy the festivities.
Perhaps it's also an opportunity to splash out a bit on a few wines which cost more than your usual price range. Most of the costs of production, transport and taxes are the same for all wines, so any extra you decide to spend will represent a rise in the quality of the wine itself.
Firstly, perhaps you'd like to get in some wine with which to welcome guests before the meal. Why not make it champagne if you can afford it. There are about 5,000 champagne makers and it is not necessary to restrict your choice to one of the well known names.
You should be able to find a very reasonable bottle for about 15/16. If this is too much, consider Cava or Proseco instead. These are very reasonably priced sparkling wines from Spain and Italy and you should be able to find one for 6-10.
If you would prefer to welcome you guests with a still wine, you should provide a white which is fairly dry, well-balanced, not heavily oaked and not too acidic. Try a Loire Valley sauvignon blanc or a dry riesling. Dry ros wines also make good aperitif wines.
Most people don't seem to serve a "starter" course as part of the main Christmas meal. But if you choose to, try something like smoked salmon so that you can take your sparkling or ros aperitif wines to the table and finish them with the starter. The still white wines suggested as aperitifs are not ideal with smoked salmon.
And now for the main course and its wine. If you're serving poultry (chicken or turkey for instance) good quality, buttery, dry to medium white wine (such as a Burgundy) would be great. If you prefer red wine, then try light to medium bodied Burgundy, or a Cru Beaujolais, Cote du Rhone or a merlot from either the old or the new world. The trick is to incorporate a smallish quantity of wine into the gravy or sauce you're serving with the meat.The wine should be the same, or very similar as that served with the meal.
If you're serving duck or goose, try German whites, which possess both acidity and a little sweetness, Alsace Pinot Gris. If that sounds too sweet, then try a nice buttery Burgundy, or a Vouvray. If you prefer red, an ideal preference would be for wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. Again, it's wise to use in the cooking some of the wine you're going to serve with the dish. That way you ensure compatibility.
And now for the pudding. A sweet sparkling wine would work well if you can find one. Otherwise, a dessert wine such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise should wash down the pud in fine style, as would a cream sherry or tawny port.
There are so many excellent dessert wines about, it's interesting to try them out. So, ask assistance when you buy your wines if you can. That's not so easy these days when so many of us buy easily obtainable wines from the supermarkets, but if you should have the chance to visit an old-style wine merchant you'll be able to ask about the wines for yourself and this helps to give you confidence in the wines you buy and the varieties obtainable.
Merry Christmas.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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